Halo: Covenant Intelligence
by The Terror of Dimensions
Summary: When the Arbiter was first condemned, only one Elite stood by him. An Elite whose name is unknown. An Elite who eventually exacted revenge against those who condemned the Arbiter by siding with a dangerous Parasite. An Elite known by the humans as Covenant Intelligence. Rated M because it matches Halo game's rating.
1. Introduction

**Here we go! My first go at a Halo story that involves TD entering as a mysterious Elite in the ranks of the Covenant. Please enjoy!**

 **I decided to do most (if not all) of this story from the Covenant's side of the war. It made things simpler and gave me less to deal with. Also, much of this is done from the POV of the Arbiter and Covenant Intelligence himself.**

 **Edit/disclaimer: I don't own Halo. It goes to proper owners.**

* * *

A single Elite in yellow colored armor stood before the Council of the Covenant in the city of High Charity. He was a commander in the Covenant, on trial for having failed to prevent Halo's destruction at the hands of the Master Chief.

"There was only one ship," the Elite said to the three Prophets in front of him, one of which was a holographic image.

"One? Are you sure?" the center Prophet inquired.

"Yes. They called it 'The Pillar of Autumn'."

Murmuring was heard among the members of the Council.

"Why was it not destroyed with the rest of their fleet?!" the oldest of the Prophets demanded.

"It fled as we set fire to their planet. But I followed with all the ships in my command."

"When you first saw Halo, were you blinded by its majesty?" the holographic Prophet asked.

"Blinded?"

"Paralyzed? Dumbstruck?"

"No."

"Yet the humans were able to evade your ships, land on the sacred Ring, and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps!"

"Noble Hierarchs, surely you understand that once the Parasite attacked-"

The Elite was interrupted by the angry mutterings and shouts from the Council.

"There will be order in this Council!" the older Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy, shouted angrily as he slammed his fist down on his chair. The center Prophet, the Prophet of Truth, raised a hand for silence.

"You were right to focus your attention on the Flood. But this demon, this Master Chief?"

"By the time I learned the demon's intent, there was nothing I could do."

More angry shouts from the Council.

"He's a traitor!" someone shouted.

A Brute Chieftain in the room simply smiled and chuckled at the Elite's predicament. The holographic image of the third Prophet, the Prophet of Regret, turned slightly to Truth.

"Noble Prophet of Truth," he said soft enough not to be overheard, "this has gone on long enough. Make an example of this bundler! The Counsel demands it!"

Just then, a hush fell upon the Council as a new figure walked into the room. At first, there was silence, then someone said, "It's the Hierarch's Son."

The figure in question walked up towards the platform until he was standing in front of the Prophets, revealing himself to be another Elite. However, he was different from other Elites. His armor was golden and his helmet and shoulder design was a replica of the headpiece worn by the Prophets. No one knew his name, not even the Elites themselves, for his past was shrouded in mystery. The humans called him "Covenant Intelligence", but among the ranks of the Covenant, he was called "Son of the Hierarchs" or "The Hierarch's Son". His rank amongst the Covenant was not entirely clear, for while he was submissive to the Prophets, he challenged and at times surpassed the command of all other officers. The Prophet of Mercy looked to him and his expression softened a little. Truth nodded slightly to acknowledge his presence and spoke to the Elite Commander.

"You are one of our most treasured instruments. Long have you lead your fleet with honor and distinction, but your inability to safeguard Halo was a colossal failure."

"Nay! It was heresy!" a Council member shouted. The rest of the Council soon joined in his cries, condemning the Commander. At this, Covenant Intelligence (CI) looked to Truth and Truth nodded slightly. CI raised a hand and the entire Counsel was silent. "Members of the Counsel," he said aloud. His voice sounded closer to a human than an Elite, but it was not deemed unusual to them. He had often used this to his advantage in battle.

"Members of the Council," he said again, "I have fought by the Commander's side often in battle. I have seen his dedication to our Covenant and while Halo's destruction may rightly be his fault, never would I condemn him as a heretic. I know that I cannot change any verdict that you place upon his head; I only ask that you reconsider his acts for this Covenant before you act."

The only response was shouts of disagreement from the majority of the Council. The Commander looked back to the Prophets and said, "I will continue my campaign against the humans!"

"No, you will not," Truth replied. He motioned to the Brute chieftain, who turned towards two other Brutes and barked an order. The Brutes walked beside the Commander and escorted him out of the room. As they left, Truth stated, "Soon the Great Journey shall begin. But when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet, and you shall be left behind."

 **Later, at the trial...**

CI watched as the Commander was strapped to a pair of electric restraints in front of the entire public of High Charity. He had gotten a front row seat, so to speak, but not close enough to hear what the Commander might say. He knew that the Commander wouldn't beg as many would expect him to. No, he was too tough for that. Nevertheless, this was going to hurt him a lot.

The restraints released several bursts of electricity into the Commander and a cry of pain slowly escaped his lips. Afterwards, Tartarus, the Brute Chieftain, addressed the crowd.

"There can be no greater heresy! Let him be an example to all who would break our Covenant!"

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" CI muttered as the Brutes on the platform tore the armor off the Commander. Then Tartarus brought forth a hot brand and walked over to the now armorless Elite. CI looked away as the brand seared into the Commander's flesh and a cry rang out from the once proud Elite. Anger swelled in the Hierarch's Son. One day, he would exact revenge upon Tartarus and all who thought the Commander a heretic. But for now, he would remain a loyal follower of the Covenant.

Waiting for the right moment to strike...

* * *

 **Well, that's the first chapter! Let me know what you thought!**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 1

**This story hopefully won't be too many chapters, because (a. I'm only really doing this from the Covenant's side of the story, aka the Arbiter and my OC, and (b. That literally means that I'm only working with half of the Halo 2 story here. Huge break!**

* * *

Covenant Intelligence watched as Tartarus and two other Brutes walked through the doors into the room, having passed the line of Elite Honor-guards, the protectors of the Prophets and (theoretically) himself. They were lugging the worn out body of the Commander, who was being dragged lifelessly by the two Brutes. His blood boiled with anger as he watched one of his kind treated so worthlessly, but he managed to compose himself outwardly. Tartarus bowed before the two Prophets and the Elite.

"Noble Prophets of Truth and Mercy, and Son of the Hierarchs," Tartarus said, "I have brought the incompetent."

"You may leave, Tartarus," Truth said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.

"But...I thought-"

"And take your Brutes with you."

Tartarus looked to the Brutes behind him and said in a tone that held reluctance, "Release the prisoner." The Brutes let go of the Commander, who fell to his hands and knees, one hand clutching the burn mark caused by the brand. Tartarus left with the rest of the Brutes as Truth spoke to him.

"The Council decided to have you hung by your entrails, and your corpse paraded through the city. But, ultimately, the terms of your execution are up to me."

"I'm already dead," the Commander said.

"Indeed," Truth said. He then turned to CI and let him speak.

"Brother, do you know where we are?"

"The mausoleum of the Arbiter."

"Quite so, brother," CI said. He gestured to the many marked graves of the Arbiters. It was clear that he enjoyed talking about them more than any other deeds done in the Covenant, including his own. "Here rests the Vanguard of the Great Journey. Every Arbiter, from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis."

"The taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion," Mercy stated, "Were it not for the Arbiters, the Covenant would've broken long ago!"

"Even on my knees, I do not belong in their presence," the Commander said.

"Halo's destruction was your error, and you rightly bear the blame," Truth stated, "But the Council was...overzealous. We know you are no heretic."

A small holographic image of an Elite appeared beside the Prophet of Truth as he continued, "This is the true face of heresy. One who would subvert our faith, and incite rebellion against the High Council."

The holographic image, which also happened to be a recording, played its message:

"Our prophets are false! Open your eyes, my brothers! They would use the faith of our forefathers to bring ruin to us all! The Great Journey is-"

Truth stopped the message and returned his gaze back to the wounded Elite.

"This heretic and those who follow him must be silenced."

"This slander offends all who walk the path!" Mercy added.

"What use am I?" the Commander asked. "I can no longer command ships, lead troops into battle."

"Not as you are, brother," CI stated, "but become the Arbiter... and you shall be set loose against this heresy with our blessing."

A large capsule behind the Prophets and the Hierarch's Son moved forward and opened up to reveal a suit of armor that was silver in color, designed to fit an Elite; the armor of the Arbiter. The Commander looked up and asked, "What of the Council?"

"The tasks you must undertake as the Arbiter are perilous, suicidal," Mercy stated, "You will die, as each Arbiter has before you. The Council will have their corpse."

The Commander slowly and painfully rose to his feet and walked up to the armor, clutching his wound as he did. He took up the helmet of the Arbiter and held it in his hands for a moment, as if weighing the options. Placing the helmet upon his head, he turned to the Prophets and their "Son".

"What would you have your Arbiter do?"

* * *

Onboard one of three ships set out to destroy the Heritic, Covenant Intelligence and the Arbiter stood amongst a line of Elites as they listened to the officer in charge of the squad. The officer's armor was white in color and he appeared to be missing most of his left two jaws. A line up of Grunts stood between their line and another line of Elites. The Grunts mostly paid attention, although one or two got distracted with something before stopped by another Grunt. All of them were in a purplish-blue armor, save for the Arbiter and Covenant Intelligence, who had gone with his standard armor that signified his rank.

"When we joined the Covenant," the officer stated, "we took an oath."

"According to our station! All without exception!" the Elites chanted as one.

"On the blood of our fathers, on the blood of our sons - we swore to uphold the Covenant!"

"Even to our dying breath!"

"Those who would break this oath are heretics - worthy of neither pity nor mercy! Even now they use our Lords' creations to broadcast their lies!"

"We shall grind them into dust!"

"And continue our march to glorious salvation!"

As the ships neared their destination, the Officer walked up to the Arbiter and said, "This armor suits you, but it cannot hide that mark."

"Nothing ever will."

"You are the Arbiter, the will of the Prophets. But these are my Elites. Their lives matter to me. Yours does not."

"Maybe so," CI replied, placing a hand on the Arbiter, "but his life matters to me."

"You grace us with your presence, Son of the Hierarchs. I trust your judgement, but if I may be so bold, I would advise you not to grow too attached to the Arbiter."

CI only glared after him. He understood that the Officer was only trying to tell him the truth behind the situation, but it was still not something that he wanted to hear. The Officer spoke into some coms set up within his suit.

"Leader, there is no doubt," a Brute's voice said on the coms, "The storm will strike the facility."

"We'll be long gone before it arrives."

The ships hovered just above one of the landing zones of the facility and deposited its cargo. Grunts and Elites dropped down from the ships and rushed towards a catwalk that led down to the nearest entry. The Arbiter, CI, and the Leader landed. "Warriors," he called, "prepare for combat!" The Arbiter pulled out an Energy Sword and activated it. All of the other Elites pulled out weapons of their own. Some had Energy Swords, others had Plasma Rifles. The Grunts, as expected, carried only Plasma Pistols. CI pulled out his personal weapon, a special Plasma Rifle version of the Carbine he had designed to be able to switch into a staff weapon. The energy used for the Staff was the same kind used for an Energy Sword; in fact, he actually had an Energy Sword attached to his belt as well, along with several charges that he could use to replace used charges. He watched the Arbiter rush ahead to join the other Elites.

"You're not dying on my watch, Arbiter," he said to himself, too low for anyone else to hear.

Not until those who wronged you have paid for their crimes...

* * *

The beginning stage of the battle had gone smoothly. For awhile, they had the element of surprise on their side. Stealth and surprise attacks were their advantage, and they quickly picked off the majority of the first group of heretics. However, around the time where their element of surprise had ended, they encountered a different problem. They had just entered another section of the facility in their search for The Heretic. While entering through the doors, the Leader sniffed the air.

"What is it?" The Arbiter asked.

"That stench...I've smelled it before."

CI sniffed the air too, then immediately recoiled and activated his Energy Sword.

"The Parasite! It's here," he said in a cautious tone. "Be in guard at all times. I don't want this to end up the way it did with my last squad."

Almost as soon as he had finished speaking, there was the sounds of combat up ahead. They rushed into the next room. In the next room, the floor was made of glass. Below them, they could see the heretics fighting against combat forms of the Flood. The Flood eventually won and rushed ahead to another section of the facility. The group fought their way through a few more heretics and came into a larger room where the corpses of several Flood Combat Forms lay on the floor, presumably dead. Floating a few feet off the ground was the Heretic.

"See?! Heretic!" a Grunt shouted as he fired his Plasma Pistol at the figure. However, every time the plasma rounds struck the Heretic, his image shifted into a more holographic image.

"Hold your fire!" the Leader ordered.

"I wondered who the Prophets would send to silence me," the Heretic said. "An Arbiter. I'm flattered. And I see that the Prophets' beloved son has accompanied him."

"He's using a holodrone," CI noted.

"Then he must be close," the Leader replied. He then turned to the Heretic's image and said, "Come out so we may kill you."

The Heretic only laughed and said, "Get in line." His image then disappeared and a sphere fell to the floor.

"Leader," the Brute's voice replied on the coms again.

"Stand firm! The Flood is upon us!"

It was true. An entire horde of the Flood, both Infection forms and Combat Forms started to pour into the room from above. CI didn't waste a minute. As soon as the Heretic had ended his message, he had started to slice off the arms of the dead Flood bodies on the floor, knowing that the Infection forms wouldn't try to resurrect a body that was missing its arms. He then proceeded to help kill off the others that were attacking. The fight was over quickly, but they knew that it was only a calm before the storm.

"Push forward, my brothers!" CI shouted as he charged ahead deeper into the facility. They followed in hot pursuit, blasting away at any of the Flood that they encountered on the way. Eventually, up ahead, they could see a single Elite run into a shielded room of some kind. It was the Heretic. The Arbiter ran up to the shield as the Heretic spoke.

"This will save me from the storm, but you will be consumed."

In frustration, the Arbiter banged his fist against the shield.

"Arbiter, where is he?" the Leader asked. The Arbiter only gestured slightly towards the shield. The leader looked at the shield and angrily muttered, "Stinking Flood bait boxed himself in tight. We'll never break through this!"

"Then we shall force him out," the Arbiter replied, looking up at a holographic image of the facility.

"How?"

"The cable. I'm going to cut it."

CI looked to the leader and said, "Get your Elites back to the ships. The Arbiter and I will take it from here."

The Leader nodded his head, not bothering to argue with the Hierarch's Son.

"Warriors!" he shouted, "Return to the landing zone! The Arbiter and the Hierarch's Son will continue upward and cut this station loose!"

The Elites obeyed their orders and rushed out of the room back to the ships. The Arbiter turned to CI and said, "You know that you don't have to stay and help me with this task."

"I am aware, Arbiter," CI stated. "However, I am just as much the blade of the Prophets as you are. I am the one who made you the Arbiter, and I intend to learn how this Heretic learned of his lies."

The Arbiter nodded and lead the way up towards the cable.

* * *

"One more Arbiter!" CI shouted as he sliced apart another Flood. Apparently the Parasite had either followed them up to the top or they had been there the whole time. Either way, there was several combat forms guarding the cable. The Arbiter rushed over to the last support beam for the cable and started slicing through it with his Energy Sword. As he did, a Flood Combat Form rushed towards him from behind, only to get sniped by CI's rifle. CI kept up the cover fire as more of the Flood attempted to stop the Arbiter. The Arbiter cut through the last of the support beams and made a mad dash to the elevator on the surface. CI pushed the button as the Arbiter got within a short distance from the elevator. Just when the Arbiter reached him and the elevator began its downward decent, a loud noise was heard and the station started to fall downwards.

"That did it!" The leader stated on the com links, "The station is in freefall!"

"There!" CI spat. "If that won't force him out, then nothing will!"

The two hurried down to the shield while fighting through horde of the Flood, just in time to see the Heretic making a run for it. CI fired a few well-placed shots at his feet, but only managed to graze him once his shields had been depleted. The two chased after him to a small landing zone where three orange Banshees were docked. Apparently, the different color scheme was to identify them from regular Covenant vehicles. The Heretic fired a few shots back at the two Elites as he rushed towards one of the Banshees. The Arbiter fired some more shots at him with his Carbine as the Banshee flew into the air and turned back around to face the two. CI, realizing what was about to happen, hollered, "Take cover!" The Arbiter ducked behind another Banshee as the Heretic unleashed his full-auto plasma rounds from the Banshee at his pursuers. CI threw an object to the ground and a Brute Bubble Shield appeared around him, preventing any damage dealt. The Heretic then turned tail and flew off towards another section of the facility. The Arbiter immediately jumped into the Banshee in front of him and took off after him too. CI followed his example with the remaining Banshee. They chased the Heretic down as he flew off, but occasionally were forced to battle some other Banshees from the Heretics followers. Eventually, CI managed to land his Banshee at the spot where the Heretic had retreated. He looked around for the Arbiter, only to see a damaged Banshee fly towards the landing zone. It crashed into the side of the facility and exploded. CI rushed over to the edge just in time to pull up the Arbiter, who had abandoned ship at the last possible second. Neither of the two Elites said a word as they continued to chase down their prey.

* * *

"Turn, Heretic!"

The Arbiter pointed his Covenant Carbine at the Heretic as he attempted to escape in a kind of carrier ship. CI stood beside him with his own rifle pointed at the Heretic. The Heretic growled a bit. He jumped down from the ship to address the two Covenant warriors.

"Arbiter. And I see that you brought the Son of the Hierarchs with you. Good, I would rather die by your hands than let the Prophets lead me to slaughter."

"Who has taught you these lies?" the Arbiter asked, moving closer to the Heretic. Just then, a familiar robotic sphere floated down in front of the Arbiter and CI. It seemed to be humming to itself as it lowered to their head level.

"An Oracle?" CI asked in confusion.

"Hello!" the sphere said. "I am three-four-three Guilty Spark. I am the Monitor of installation zero-four."

"Ask the Oracle about Halo," the Heretic said, "How they would sacrifice us all for nothing!"

"More questions? Splendid! I would be happy to assist you."

The Heretic suddenly pulled two Plasma Rifles out from behind his back and fired at the Arbiter. CI, seeing this just in time, pushed the Arbiter back down the ramp he had come from, taking the entire brunt of the Heretic's attack. His shields kept him safe from the majority of the Heretic's attack, but just in case he also blocked some of the plasma rounds with his Energy Sword. The Heretic used his jetpack to land safely on the top of the ship.

"The Elites are blind, Arbiter!" he shouted. "But I will make them see."

The Heretic pulled out two spheres and activated them. The spheres floated into the air and landed on either side of CI. The spheres then turned into solid holographic images of the Heretic. By now, the Arbiter had recovered from CI's sudden actions to stand on his feet.

"I'll take these ones, Arbiter!" CI called. "You get the Heretic!"

CI sliced his Energy Sword at one of the clones, but it used its jetpack to get out of range and drew out two Plasma Rifles of its own. The other clone did the same. CI switched his weapon to ranged mode and fired at the clone nearest to him, aiming for its jetpack. His shot was true and the clone fell to the ground, before being finished off by the Hierarch's Son. He quickly disposed of the other clone. A cry of pain was heard and CI turned to see the Heretic standing before him with an Energy Sword sticking through his chest. The Arbiter pulled his Energy Sword out and deactivated it. He then started walking out of the hanger as the doors opened on it. CI followed after with Guilty Spark close behind.

"Unfortunate. His edification was most enjoyable," Guilty Spark said.

"I had no choice, Holy Oracle," the Arbiter replied. "This heretic imperiled the Great Journey."

"Oracle? Great Journey? Why do you meddlers insist on using such inaccurate verbiage?"

Suddenly, a magnetic burst of energy grabbed Guilty Spark and pulled him out of the hanger with the robot exclaiming, "Oh my!" He came with a stop on the surface of a familiar Brute's Gravity Hammer.

"That...is the Oracle," the Arbiter protested.

"So it is," Tartarus said in a way that told CI that he honestly didn't care. He tossed Guilty Spark behind him and into the tractor beam that pulled him up into the ship Tartarus had arrived on.

"Come," the Brute said. "We are leaving this system."

The Arbiter and CI followed him into the ship. Inwardly, CI was struggling not to stick his blade in Tartarus's gut. Too soon, he reminded himself. The Prophets would want him to do a more important job.

Gain information from the Oracle on the location of another Halo.

* * *

 **This is so difficult! I keep getting distracted with my other activities and such.**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know if I should continue with the path I have taken! Cya next time!**


	3. Chapter 2

**It has taken me awhile to get back to this story. Honestly, making a fanfic based off of a game is hard.**

 **Let's see what Covenant Intelligence will do today! Hope y'all enjoy!**

 **Heads up: In this AU, only the Prophets of Truth and Regret are aware of what Halo is capable of. Mercy is not aware, so CI therefore is more...merciful to him in the future than with the others.**

* * *

"And where, Oracle, would this Index be located?" Covenant Intelligence (CI) asked Guilty Spark. They were within a special chamber meant to house the Oracle and CI had been tasked with asking him anything that could help them activate the Halo ring.

"Why, in the library of course!" the Forerunner drone responded.

CI pondered this. So, it appeared that the next Halo ring was set up similarly to the last. Soon, the ring would be activated and the Great Journey would begin. Yet...something bothered CI, something about Halo's nature. Long had the fascination of studying the Forerunners' technology and history been bred into his mind. He had recently studied the structure of Halo, and he still found it hard to believe that it was a gateway to salvation. It looked like something else, but he needed to be sure. He first checked to make sure that none would hear them before speaking his mind.

"Oracle?" CI asked Guilty Spark, "The Halo rings, what are they?"

"Weapons of last resort, built by my creators to destroy the Flood when they were overwhelmed."

"And what happened exactly when it was activated?"

"Simple. They and all lifeforms within a galactic-wide radius died, as planned."

"So I was right," CI said to himself. Just then, he heard a door open, and Truth and Mercy came into the room. His back was turned to them, so they couldn't see his face. He composed himself and put on a straight face.

"I have questioned the Oracle, as you have asked," CI stated, turning to greet the two Prophets.

"Well done, my son," Truth said in a formal tone. "But I'm afraid that now is not the time for rest. We have need of your leadership down below. The Demon has been sighted on the sacred ring, and he is pursuing Regret. We fear that he intends to end his life."

"Then I shall extinguish his own life," CI stated simply. He stepped out of the room, but Truth called back.

"A word of warning my son: this Demon is not like others that you have had to fight. He has singlehandedly taken out many of our squads and managed to destroy one of the sacred rings. Be cautious."

"I will."

CI left the room before more conversation could be made.

* * *

He was too late, for the deed had already been done. Regret already lay slain, killed by the Master Chief, otherwise known to CI as the Demon. All around him and scattered about the room lay the bodies of several Elite Honorguards and a few other Covenant soldiers. Judging from Regret's posture, there was nothing CI could do to save him now.

Not that it mattered to him. He was actually thankful that he had been slain, for it was one less Prophet to deal with later on. Still, he wished to cross blades with the Master Chief himself, to see if he truly was as great a warrior as the humans claimed. He would kill him if need be, but it wasn't his greater concern. No, his concern lay solely with the Arbiter. He hoped only that he could reach him before the Index was claimed by the Covenant. But first, he had to deal with the Demon. He followed the trail of Covenant bodies out into the open in pursuit of the Demon.

"Son of the Hierarchs," a Brute voice said on his coms, "We are preparing to fire upon your position so that we may destroy the Demon."

"Stay your hand," CI ordered. "Do not fire unless I give the word. I wish to combat the Demon personally. And I won't have long to wait."

CI turned the next corner and found the Chief just starting to prepare to leave. Activating his Energy Sword, he called out, "Turn, Demon!"

The Chief turned slowly to the Hierarch's Son. "Chief!" he heard the Spartan's AI say, "It's Covenant Intelligence!"

"You have killed one of the Hierarchs, a crime that cannot be forgiven by the Covenant. However, I am more forgiving than the Prophets. Surrender to me now, and I will spare you."

"Like h*** I will," the Chief replied. He pulled out a UNSC Battle Rifle and blasted away at CI, who blocked the majority of his body with his Energy Sword, effectively deflecting most of the shots. What few bullets got past his sword were wasted on his shield, which was hardly damaged. He rushed the Chief and sliced his rifle in half, before then trying to thrust his weapon into the Chief's gut. However, the Chief expertly parried his attack and pushed CI away from him. He then drew an Energy Sword of his own that he had picked up from an Elite Honorguard. and prepared to combat the Hierarch's Son. Their blades clashed, but CI managed to swing the Chief's sword around and out of his hand, leaving him unguarded for an attack. The Chief dodged CI's sword strikes and pulled a pistol from his belt, blasting away at the Elite and reducing his shield. CI ignored this and lunged at the Chief, but a quick dodge from the Chief caused his blade to graze him, damaging only his shield. The Chief locked CI in a headlock from behind and stabbed a knife into his back. CI felt the blade pierce his back and a cry escaped his lips. He tried to escape from the Chief's grip, but in vain. In desperation, he grabbed a Plasma Grenade from his belt and slapped it on himself as close to the Chief as possible. The Chief noticed this and quickly released CI and managed to get out of the blast radius before it exploded. CI was still alive, so well made were his shields, but his shields had now been completely depleted. He knew that the Chief wouldn't let him recharge his shields, but he also couldn't allow him to grab another firearm. His only advantage against this Spartan was to force him to stay in close combat. Standing up quickly, CI rushed at the Chief before he could grab another weapon. The Chief dodged CI's strike, but the Elite relentlessly kept up the attack. The Chief grabbed his Energy Sword that had been tossed aside and parried CI's attacks, but it was clear that he couldn't keep this up any longer. Seeing this, CI made a strategic strike at the Chief's hand and his sword sliced the handle of the Chief's sword, causing it to deactivate. He then sliced at the Chief again, this time landing a hit and depleting the Spartan's shields. He then grabbed the Chief by the neck and held him off the ground.

"Prepare to die, Demon!" CI stated and prepared a stabbing motion towards his gut. It never came. Suddenly, CI's armor shocked him and his entire suit started to malfunction. He released the Chief as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

"Hurry Chief!" the Spartan's AI shouted. "I've hacked his suit! Now's your chance!"

CI looked up to see that the Chief had taken his own Energy Sword and was getting ready to attack. CI quickly pulled up his wrist computer and managed to regain control of his com lines.

"Fire!" he shouted. "Fire now!"

The suit stopped malfunctioning when he said this and a large plasma beam struck the walkway. The Chief ran from it past CI and over towards the edge, but CI didn't get such a luxury. In desperation, he pulled up his latest work: a salvaged Forerunner teleporting device. He activated it just as the beam started to reach his location, teleporting just in the nick of time, unsure of the Chief's fate.

* * *

CI never thought that he could've been more frightened in all his life. He had faced down a squad of Spartans on his own, single-handedly defeated an army of humans, and had even dared to defy the will of the Prophets once. But nothing made him feel more scared in all his life than the giant creature that stood before him. It was gigantic to say the least, composed of the corpses of hundreds of thousands of victims. It had several tentacles and no visible eyes, but it didn't seem to need them to see. This was a Gravemind, the brains behind the Flood.

CI quickly rattled through his head ideas or strategies he could use to take on this parasitic creature and finally settled with the suicidal option. The Gravemind turned to CI and seemed to only just now acknowledge him. CI had pulled up his wrist computer and had his finger hovering over a button on the screen.

"Stay where you are, Parasite," CI shouted, "Or this entire ring will be destroyed, and you along with it!"

The Gravemind was silent as it stared in his direction for a moment, then it spoke.

"Your reputation precedes you, Covenant Intelligence," Gravemind said in a tone that may have been admiration.

"Then you know that I am serious," CI said calmly.

"You're unique amongst the Covenant, but I feel that you are conflicted within. Your Prophets have deceived you and your kind into following a lie that will destroy us all. As such, you want revenge on them for misleading so many before them."

"You speak the truth, Parasite, but be wary of what you say next. One wrong move and your unnatural life ends."

"I would sooner consume all of this galaxy than to kill such a worthy opponent, one who is not afraid to die if it means saving so many more. I offer you an opportunity that you would be wise to accept."

"What deal could you make that I would accept?"

"You wish to betray the Covenant, exact revenge on them for condemning someone special to you. The Flood can accomplish this and more. This one time, the Flood can be yours to command. We shall also spare anyone whom you wish to save from the storm."

CI kept his hand above the self-destruct button. The Parasite offered a fair deal: death to all who had wronged the Arbiter and the option to spare anyone whom he desired to spare. Yet, could he trust the Parasite? The Flood was not one whom you would normally call an ally. But what other choice did he have? He couldn't take on the Covenant alone. CI sighed, hoping that he wouldn't regret his decision and let his hand wander away from the self-destruct button.

"Alright, Parasite," he said. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

"The Index is secure," Keyes stated as Sergeant Johnson pulled her up from the area where she had retrieved the Index. They had fought through hordes of the Flood as well as some scattered Covenant forces and had finally retrieved the Index. Now they just needed to get out of there.

"McKenzie, Perez! How's our exit?" Johnson asked, calling to the Marines he had left to guard their exit. But there was no response.

"You hear me, marines?"

No answer. Johnson pulled out his Battle Rifle, knowing that something was wrong.

"We got trouble," he said to Keyes. He stepped towards the direction the Marines were supposed to be at, while looking around with his rifle's attached flashlight. He peered into the darkness, but saw nothing. That didn't satisfy him however, and for a good reason. The area was quiet. Too quiet...

A sound was heard off to his right and he turned just as the Arbiter leaped from the shadows at him. Johnson fired away at the Elite, but the Arbiter quickly countered with a few well-laid punches. A short melee occurred as the two fought with each other, but it was clear that the Arbiter had the upper hand. The Arbiter managed to push Johnson against a wall, holding him up by the throat. The two stared into each other's eyes before Johnson said sarcastically, "How ya doin?" He ended up getting thrown off to the side for that. The Arbiter started to walk slowly towards Johnson, but was stopped by a hail of gunfire from Keyes, who had grabbed a sub-machine gun of her own.

"Sargent! Stay down!" she ordered as she forced the Arbiter to go into hiding behind some fallen debris in the room. Once she had driven him off long enough, she turned to the Marine and asked, "Johnson? Are you alright?"

Just then, the Arbiter jumped out from cover towards her. At the same time, a flash of light appeared in another section of the room nearby and CI jumped out into the room. He appeared just in time to see the Arbiter grab Keyes's weapon and hold it up so she couldn't shoot him.

"Arbiter!" he called out. The Arbiter looked in CI's direction, releasing Keyes as he did. Keyes started to crawl away, but was then shocked by electricity of some kind and pulled away towards its source. CI stiffened, for he knew whose weapon had done that. Tartarus caught Keyes as she came towards him. A few Brutes had accompanied him.

"Excellent work, Arbiter," Tartarus said, "The Hierarchs will be pleased." He nodded slightly at CI, acknowledging his presence.

"The Icon...is my responsibility," the Arbiter replied.

CI didn't know much of what had happened, but he knew that something was not right, so he intervened.

"It's true, Tartarus," he said calmly. "And unless decreed by myself or the Hierarchs, it will stay that way."

"It _was_ his responsibility, Son of the Hierarchs. Now, it is mine."

Tartarus's Brutes started to encircle the Arbiter, as one of them started to drag Johnson and Keyes away. Tartarus continued.

"A bloody fate awaits you and the rest of your incompetent race. And I, Tartarus, Chieftain of the Brutes will send you to it!"

Realizing what was happening, the Arbiter glared angrily at Tartarus while CI watched with confusion and rage. Even so, he couldn't help but notice that none of the Brutes were taking any heed of him.

"When the Prophets learn of this," the Arbiter stated, "they will take your head."

"When they learn?" Tartarus laughed. "Fool. They ordered me to do it."

"Tartarus, what is the meaning of this outrage?!" CI demanded. Tartarus turned and addressed CI with an apologetic expression, though Ci could tell that inwardly the Brute was not sorry.

"Forgive me, noble Son of the Hierarchs. But I was given my orders by the Hierarchs themselves, that the Elites are all to be slaughtered for treason against the Covenant. However, they decreed that you alone are to be spared from the bloodshed."

CI was taken aback. No, it couldn't be. Yet, Tartaus's face said otherwise. CI watched hopelessly as Tartarus fired a beam of electricity at the Arbiter, knocking him down into the abyss from where the Index had been retrieved. He then turned to CI.

"Come! The Prophets wish for you to be present when they reveal the Icon to High Charity."

CI regained his composure and nodded.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up. This...is much for me to take in."

Tartarus nodded and left the room. Ci walked over to the edge of the abyss and looked down. He didn't know whether or not the Arbiter was still alive, but he did know that if he was that the Parasite that lurked below would not harm him, as part of the agreement. But just in case...

"I WILL avenge you, Arbiter," CI said softly in anger. "You, and all of our brothers. Tartarus and all who wronged you."

CI turned away and walked out of the room after Tartarus.

"I'll make them pay."

* * *

 **Dun dun dun! What a cliffhanger!**

 **Review, favorite, and I'll cya all later! Goodbye!**


	4. Chapter 3

**This story may have to briefly get involved in Halo 3 to make sense at the end. I'm not entirely sure, so stay in touch.**

 **Enjoy, because Covenant Intelligence will finally get his revenge!**

* * *

An entire crowd of Jackals and Grunts were gathered at the bottom of a series of steps which led up to the Prophets, kept back only by a series of Brute Honorguards. The Prophets were broadcasting a message to all of the Covenant on their equivalent to live TV. Covenant Intelligence (CI) stood beside Mercy as the broadcast was relayed.

"We are, all of us, gravely concerned..." Truth said to the camera, "The release of the Parasite was unexpected, unfortunate. But there is no need to panic. In truth, this is a time to rejoice! A moment that all the Covenant should savor! For the Sacred Icon has been found! With it, our path is clear- our entry into the divine beyond guaranteed! The Great Journey is nigh, and nothing, not even the Flood, can stop it!"

Just then, a portal appeared behind the camera, which was manned by a Grunt with a Needler. Out of it came the Master Chief. CI chuckled at the irony. The Flood couldn't stop them, but maybe the Demon could. The Grunt turned to the Chief and started to tremble. The Chief simply looked at the Grunt and said, "Boo." The Grunt flung his weapon into the air and ran screaming for his life as the Chief caught the Needler in midair and pointed it at the Prophets.

"Kill the demon!" Truth shouted, as he, Mercy, and CI started to leave the room through a special elevator installed there. CI followed them through the corridors of High Charity as they made their way to a Forerunner ship that was reserved for them to leave on. On the way, CI noticed that the Elites were revolting against the rest of the Covenant. It seemed to him that they too had discovered the truth behind the Halo rings, or at the least were fighting back against those who would exterminate them. Finally, they reached the platform that would take them to the ship. Tartarus and a few Honorguard Brutes joined them there, along with Keyes and Johnson. Tartarus turned his head slightly towards his Brutes behind him.

"Split them up!" he ordered, "One in each Phantom!"

The Brutes did as they were told, pushing the prisoners along. CI walked over to the group with Johnson and forced him to the ground, seemingly in anger. Secretly though, he handed the Sergeant a small object: CI's latest invention, a portable Plasma Rifle. In its current state, it was the size of a tiny cube with a small button on it. The Sergeant looked at CI as he said too quietly for the Brutes to hear, "Don't let them activate Halo. Stop them by any means necessary." He then let him back up on his feet and returned to the Prophets. Tartarus bowed low in front of Truth.

"The hopes of all the Covenant rest on your shoulders, Chieftain," Truth said to him.

"My faith is strong," he replied, taking the Index from Truth. "I will not fail."

Just as he had finished speaking, a swarm of Flood Infection Forms crawled up onto the platform and charged the group. Tartarus and his Brutes made quick work of them, but one of the Flood managed to get past him and latched itself onto Mercy. Mercy fell backwards off his chair and struggled to keep the Infection form from burrowing into him. CI and Tartarus both started to rush to his aid, but Truth came up and said, "Let him be." He then turned to Mercy.

"The Great Journey waits for no one, Brother. Not even you."

CI was filled with so much rage he couldn't stand it any longer.

"Parasite!" he yelled. The Flood stopped attacking Mercy and stared at CI, though it still kept its grip. Truth, Tartarus, and the Brutes all turned to CI, wondering what was the meaning of this.

"You WILL honor our agreement!" CI said to the Flood. The Flood stared at him a moment longer, then released Mercy and attempted to attack Tartarus. Needless to say, it was quickly killed by Tartarus. CI ran to Mercy and helped him to his feet.

"What is the meaning of this sorcery, my son?!" Truth demanded.

"Don't call me your son, ill-named Prophet of Truth," CI snarled. "Only one has ever deserved to call me his son, and you would leave him to die here at the hands of the Parasite! But that doesn't matter to you, does it? After all, you would lead us all to slaughter should your plan succeed!"

"Take care, Son of the Hierarchs," Tartarus warned. "What you speak is heresy!"

"Is it, Tartarus? I studied the Halo rings, questioned the Oracle about their purpose, and even dared to speak to the Parasite about its origins. All that I have learned tells me something that is all too clear: Halo is not a gateway to salvation, but a weapon of destruction!"

Mercy seemed stunned at this, and CI could sense that he had not known about this.

"Tell me this isn't true!" he demanded, partly to Truth and partly to CI.

"It is all too true, father," CI stated, "though _he_ may deny it!"

Mercy turned to Truth, who was wearing an expression of anger that did not deny what CI had said.

"I was afraid that this would happen, my former son," Truth said. "Your pursuit of the knowledge of our forefathers without our supervision has clouded your judgement and misled you, blinding you from the truth of The Great Journey."

"The truth?! The truth is that you would lead us all to our deaths for nothing! You condemned the Arbiter, slaughtered my brothers, and now you would leave one of your own to die at the hands of the Parasite! The Heretic and the Arbiter both were more worthy of leading this Covenant than you ever will be!"

"Enough! Kill them! Both of them!" Truth ordered as he made his escape. Tartarus barked an order as he too made his escape, and the Honorguard Brutes started to walk towards them. CI quickly placed himself in front of Mercy and activated two Energy Swords that he pulled from his belt.

"If you try to stop me, Brutes," he warned, "I will end your lives."

The Brutes responded by charging at him. CI made a few swift, strategic strikes and their spears fell to the ground sliced in half. Before they could react fast enough, CI then stabbed each of them through the gut and their lives were extinguished. CI huffed and turned back to Mercy.

"What have you done, My Son?" Mercy asked, still trying to take in what had happened.

"Hopefully something that I won't regret later," CI replied. He helped Mercy back into his seat and led him to his private Phantom. Already, a crowd of Elites had gathered there waiting for him. Upon seeing him and Mercy, they drew their weapons and advanced towards them.

"Stay your hands, brothers," CI ordered. "I too have seen through the lies of Truth. Mercy has no part in the deception we fell victim to, for he is just as much a victim himself."

Hearing this, the Elites lowered their weapons. Mercy spoke next.

"There are no words that I can say that will be sufficient enough to apologize for my actions. I allowed myself to be deceived by Truth and therefore brought ruin to us all."

"Not yet, father," CI said. "There is still a chance. There is one who can stop them. Make that two if my thinking is correct."

* * *

The Chief rushed through another doorway as he pursued the Prophet of Truth. Cortana gave him instructions on where to go, but it was still a long ways to go. Just then, a familiar voice spoke into his coms.

"Demon, I know you can hear me. Talk to me."

"Chief, it's Covenant Intelligence!" Cortana stated. "But why would he want to talk?"

"I can get you to Truth. Take the corridor to you left. I have prepared a portal for you there. It will take you to the platform where Truth's ship is docked."

"Why are you helping me?" the Chief asked.

"Because I have finally seen through his lies. He must be silenced. Take him down for me, Master Chief."

The Chief was silent as the communication ended. Then Cortana said, "Well, I don't know if we can trust him or not, but it's our best shot."

The Chief took the corridor to his left and found that what CI had said was true. He stepped into the portal, ready to pursue his quarry quicker than before.

* * *

The Son of the Hierarchs and the Elites who followed him were orbiting above Halo inside CI's Dreadnaught, the biggest and most powerful ship in the Covenant. CI had chosen to prepare for his next greatest step onboard the only ship he truly trusted. For he knew that eventually, he would have to fight the Covenant. Well, if it was a fight they wanted, it was fight they'd get. He might die, but the Dreadnaught would not fall into Covenant hands...at least, not until they had first blown it to pieces. CI turned to address the Elites before him.

"My brothers," he said, "Today marks a new day for the Elites. Today, we shake off the chains of the Covenant and start anew. Today, we will stop the Covenant from activating this Ring, and we will prove that the Elites will not be easily defeated!"

Cheers rang out from the crowds as TD turned to one of the officers.

"Commander, I need you down on the ring. Find the Arbiter and help him in whatever way you can." CI told the Elite who had led the attack on the Heretic.

"It shall be done, Son of the Hierarchs. Warriors! Prepare for combat!"

The group of Elites dropped from the ship and onto the terrain below. Meanwhile, CI was pulling up a large screen and interacting with many of the buttons and images on it.

"What are you doing?" Mercy inquired.

"I am going to deactivate this Ring. For good."

"That is a perilous task, my son. Suicidal. Your chances of success are too low to phathom."

"Well then, I'll take what I can go by."

He furiously started pressing buttons on his computer, searching for what he was looking for. After what seemed like an eternity, he found it; a way to sever the ties between Halo and all means of activating it. But one problem remained: he would have to start the process during the activation of the ring. CI sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

But then again, he always did like giving himself a challenge.

 **Time skip...**

Eventually, he saw it. The Ring had been activated. CI felt a twinge of doubt go through him as he furiously worked at the computer. He had only one shot at this and one shot only, but if he succeeded, this Ring would never have to be feared for a possible reactivation ever again. He quickly started the process as a beam fired into the sky, signaling the start of the activation process. CI stuck to his task, not bothering to notice anything else happening around him. As such, he was unaware that a Covenant fleet had come into view and was headed straight for his Dreadnaught. CI kept up his task, only briefly taking time to tell Mercy to evacuate the ship through one of his custom escape pods when the alarms sounded. CI kept up his task. Finally, the Ring stopped mid-activation just as CI severed the final tie. It had worked!

"My son," Truth's voice came on the coms. The screen changed to show his face looking on with false sadness. CI kept his eye on the Prophet as he pressed a button on the screen, signaling his ship to go into autopilot.

"My son," Truth said again, "You have dealt grievously with me and the rest of the Covenant. But there is still time for redemption. Denounce the lies that you have heard, surrender the Arbiter's position to me, and all will be forgiven."

"The only lies I see are the ones spoken by your tongue," CI stated defiantly. "You have betrayed the Covenant and all who followed you. It is _you_ who should beg forgiveness. But if that is not the case, let it be known that the Son of the Hierarchs will not surrender and will fight till the end."

"Then you have sealed your fate," Truth said bluntly. "Kill him."

The fleet opened fire on the Dreadnaught, only to receive answering shots as well. Given the superior quality of CI's ship and the amount of weaponry onboard, the fleet was soon reduced to almost nothing. However, the Dreadnaught had suffered catastrophic damage as well. It slowly descended towards Halo, crashing into the ground and going up in flames. A drop team went down below to check out the wreckage, but found no body nor any trace of where CI had gone. Truth fumed with rage when he heard this. Covenant Intelligence had escaped their wrath and he would return.

This time, to settle things once and for all.

* * *

 **I don't care if this is a bad story or not. I just keep up the pace and don't give a hoot. Not entirely true, but close enough!**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed! Cya next time, cause this is not over yet!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Wow! I've been gone and away from this chapter for quite some time! Time to bring this story to a close.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The war was over. The Covenant was defeated, the Prophet of Truth was dead, and the Flood had been eradicated once more. The human race was saved. However, all was not joy and celebrations. The Master Chief was missing, thousands of men and Elites were dead, and there was much work to be done in rebuilding the place. The work was going underway as a memorial was set up for the men who died protecting Earth and her colonies. After the ceremony, the admiral looked to the Arbiter, who had joined the ceremony in honor of the Chief, who was reported MIA.

"I remember how this war started," he said to the Arbiter, "What your kind did to mine. I can't forgive you, but you have my thanks for standing by him to the end." The Admiral shook the Arbiter's hand, then looked down at the ground. "Hard to believe he's dead."

The Arbiter looked up into the sky before making his reply.

"Were it so easy."

The Arbiter soon left the memorial site and boarded his Flagship. Onboard, his commander sighed as the Arbiter entered. Beside him sat the Prophet of Mercy.

"Things look different without the lies of my brothers clouding our minds," Mercy stated. The Commander nodded, then looked to the Arbiter.

"I would like to see our own world, to know that it is safe."

"Fear not," the Arbiter said, "For we have made it safe."

"By your word, Arbiter," the Commander said with a salute. The Arbiter sat down in his seat and gave a final command.

"Take us home."

The ship slowly rose up and left Earth's atmosphere, taking off towards the Elites' home planet. But even before they got there, they gathered their fleets together as the Arbiter did one last task.

"A moment's silence," he said, "for the loss of our greatest leader, the Son of the Hierarchs. Known by the humans as Covenant Intelligence, he was a loyal follower and supporter of our former Covenant, even when defying the orders of the false Prophets. While his name is lost to time, his memory and the memory of our fallen brothers will never be forgotten."

The Elites all nodded gravely and gathered up a collection of items together: Covenant Intelligence's spare gear and weapons that he had left behind. They carefully laid it inside a capsule similar to the one which the Arbiter had received his armour from. It would be placed in its own mausoleum back on the Elite's homeworld. The Arbiter looked towards Mercy, who seemed deep in thought.

"I am deeply sorry for your loss, noble Hierarch," the Arbiter said, "He was like a blood-brother to me, and as such his passing pains me deeply."

"Don't call me Hierarch," the old Prophet said softly. "That was a title give me while I still followed a lie, believing in a path to salvation by means of our destruction. I do not wish to continue with such a title. If I am to die, I want to die knowing that I have left that lie behind."

The Arbiter nodded, then looked out into space. A part of him wanted to believe that the Hierarch's Son was still alive, somewhere.

But for now, he had to get back home.

* * *

An object flew down into Earth's atmosphere and crashed some ways away from the nearest military base. Curious, and slightly cautious, the Admiral had some Marines check it out. When they reported back, they had shocking news.

It was the Chief!

The Admiral quickly got himself down to the sight and he soon got confirmation through his own eyes. Spartan 117 stood to his full height, and addressed the Admiral with a salute.

"At ease, son," the Admiral stated. The Chief obliged as the Marines dragged his mode of transportation out of the crater it created: a cryosleep chamber with a now-damaged shield around it and a series of thrusters added to it as well. The shield had suffered tremendous damage, but was still slightly intact and the thrusters had only just run out of fuel. What was odd, however, was that both were made from Covenant equipment. As one of the Marines fiddled with it, a holographic image of an Elite suddenly appeared. It was Covenant Intelligence! The hologram looked forward as the Admiral and Chief stepped closer to hear the message.

 _Spartan 117, you and your kind, as well as my own, may think of me to be dead at this point. You may be right, or you may be wrong. Whatever the case, I wanted to leave you something in return for the death of the ill-named Prophet of Truth. You are lost in space while I record this, but when you awake, you will hopefully be back on Earth where you belong. Thanks again for everything._

 _For now, I will remain missing from the eyes of both our kinds, but one day I shall return. When I do, I will bring glory to the Covenant as intended long ago. No more will the Covenant live in the lies fed to them by Truth. Until then, the Son of the Hierarchs lives on both in memory and in flesh._

The hologram ended and everyone was in awe. Never before had any Elite done such a thing for them. Not only had he brought back the Chief, but he had also made a promise to set things right again someday. For now, all they could do is hope that he would fulfill his promise.

And hope that he was still alive...

* * *

The Elite sighed as he took off the helmet he wore, which looked very much like the headdress of a Prophet. He sighed as he looked at it.

"A symbol of lies and deceit under Truth," he muttered, "but I will make it a symbol of honor and glory." He replaced the helmet and looked out into space from the wreckage of the UNSC ship he resided on. His situation may have seemed hopeless to most, but for him, he still saw the means of which to escape from this wreck. It would take time, but it was possible.

"I will return someday," he vowed, "and I will bring glory to the Covenant. But for now, the fate of your universe lies in your hands, Master Chief." He sighed as he looked off into space again, passing by a planet that seemed rather colorful from above.

"You'll need all the help you can get for the fight ahead..."

* * *

 **And with that, this story comes to a close!**

 **Sorry if this didn't come out the way you'd prefer, but I've NEVER done a story based on a video game before. I hope this is decent enough to pass.**

 **Cya next time, friends! Keep up the good work!**


End file.
